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Murfreesboro Electric Department - How To Read Your Meter

Getting to Know Your Electric Meter

If you're like most people, sooner or later you'll want to know a little more about the electricity you're using. Like where does it go? And how much are you using? Not only will the following information help with that, but a simple call to your local power company can also turn you on to several ways to use electricity more efficiently.

Start Here

Reading your electric meter is a good way to know how much you're spending on electricity. Here in the Tennessee Valley our residential rates are among the lowest in the country. And together with  TVA, Murfreesboro Electric Department will continue to keep those rates low, while offering more competitive and more energy efficient ways to use that electricity.

Electricity is measured by kilowatt-hours. As a sort of quick reference, a 100 watt light bulb burning for 10 hours uses one kilowatt-hour. Electric meters keep track of how many kilowatt-hours you've used.

There are two kinds of electric meters out there, digital and dial. Both are pretty easy to read and understand once you get the hang of it.

The Digital Meter

All you have to do is read the meter like the mileage odometer in your car.  Every time the number increases, that's another kilowatt-hour used.

The Dial Meter

One a dial meter, there are five dials, numbered 0 through 9, with the 0 at the top.

Look closely and you'll see that the numbers go around the face clockwise on some of the dials, but counterclockwise on every other dial.

The hands of the dials move in the same direction as the counting order of the numbers. To read the meter, just write down the number that each hand has just passed. Start with the dial on the far left, and proceed to the right.

The reading is 66,649.

If a hand is directly on a number, look at the dial to its immediate right. If that hand has passed zero, write down the number that the left hand is pointing to.

The reading here is 70.

If the hand on the right has not passed zero, write down the last number that the left hand has passed.

The reading here is 69.

Once you know how to read your meter, it's easy to figure out how much electricity you've used since your last electric bill.

Simply look at last month's electric bill to find the reading recorded by Murfreesboro Electric Department. Then, subtract last month's reading from the number you just took off your meter. What you end up with is the total number of kilowatt-hours you've used since your last reading.

Where Does It Go?

The biggest electricity consumption in your home is from your heating and air conditioning equipment. The average home uses about 55% of its electricity here. Older, less insulated homes use even more electricity. Older appliances are less energy efficient, and cost more to run too.

Water heaters are usually the second largest user of electricity in your home. After that come major appliances like refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers, followed by smaller items like TVs, lights, and stereos.

Tips And Treats.

Here's a few quick tips for saving energy in your home. For a more complete set of tips and tricks, take a look at "Vacuuming Your Refrigerator With the Drapes Closed. And 47 Other Bright Ideas."

• Make sure your home is insulated properly. Ceiling, wall and floor insulation reduces heating and cooling costs, while helping to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Recommended R-values are: Ceiling (R-30), Walls (R-15), Floors (R-19).

• Have your heating and cooling system checked by a licensed contractor. Once every spring is good, and changing your filters monthly helps, too.

• Ceiling fans are a cost-effective way to help you feel cooler in the summer, and push heat down from the ceiling in the winter.

• Storm and double pane windows help with insulation. Insulated core or storm doors will also save energy. Caulking and weather-stripping will solve problems with excessive air infiltration. All these reduce cold spots and drafts.

• See how old your appliances are. Older appliances, electric furnaces and air conditioners, in particular, use more electricity and cost more to run.

There. Isn't that better? Don't you feel more energy-conscious? Actually more self actualized. Of course you do. And if you'd like more information on saving energy, and the wonderful world of electricity, call or email us.